The University of California, San Diego, has the largest outdoor shake table, or earthquake simulator, in the world — the only one capable of testing a 10-story building. The shake table can support 2000 metric tons, or 4.5 million pounds, or about the weight of 1300 cars. Two years ago, it was used to simulate a 7.7-magnitude quake on a ten-story wood-framed building.
Next month, the team will run an earthquake simulation on a ten-story cold-formed steel building using historic data from actual earthquakes. The table moves with six degrees of freedom to replicate an actual earthquake's movement directions. The results are captured by thousands of sensors placed throughout the building, including non-structural elements like fire sprinkler systems.
Cold-formed steel is light, strong, environmentally friendly, and less expensive than hot-rolled steel. However, due to safety concerns, cold steel structures are currently limited to 65 feet, or six stories, in height. A successful simulation could allow for taller cold-steel-framed buildings.
The project is a joint effort of UC San Diego and Johns Hopkins University. The upgrade to the shake table that made tests of this magnitude possible was funded by a National Science Foundation grant, funding that is now under threat.
Previously:
• How earthquakes work, and how science makes us safer
• Fracking and earthquakes: The real risk is injecting liquid underground
• This truck makes artificial earthquakes on demand…. for science!
